\u201cOh, my heavens!\u201d cried a flustered secretary scurrying into the room. \u201cWhat happened to Agent Manderley?\u201d She lifted his head and began patting him rapidly on the cheeks. <\/p>\n
\n\tMabel had barely opened her mouth to reply when two more women hurried into the room, and joined the patting.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI think he\u2019s okay,\u201d said one of the women as Manderley blinked several times. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cYes, you\u2019re right,\u201d replied another. \u201cAgent Manderley, are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tManderley opened his eyes, and nodded dazedly.<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel picked up the styrofoam cup which had fallen to the floor. \u201cI\u2019ll just…um…I\u2019ll just throw this away,\u201d she said as she backed out into the hallway.<\/p>\n
\n\tIt was a relief to be out of there. She looked at the half-empty vial before tucking it back under her shirt. \u201cOne down,\u201d she said, \u201cone to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHow about your potty?\u201d came a woman\u2019s voice from the waiting area. \u201cWas the men\u2019s potty as, um…sociable, as the women\u2019s potty?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cNaturally, I loved it,\u201d answered a male voice in reply. \u201cBut I must say I slept better in a tree than on that bench.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cMom and Dad,\u201d said Mabel quietly, before taking off down the hallway at a sprint. There they were, with the Halfslips and the Peales too. Mabel nearly knocked Mr. Crockett down, then Mrs. Crockett joined the sandwich hug.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cSure enough, they found my prints,\u201d said Colleen, when Mabel looked around and spotted her. \u201cTurns out I am Colleen Wickers after all!\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cExcuse me, everyone,\u201d interrupted Agent Boots. \u201cWhile all of you have been released from custody at this time, it is mandatory that no one leave the Logjam area until our department specialists have verified the information which Miss Wickers has supplied. We will notify you at the conclusion of the investigation.\u201d She paused and relaxed a notch. \u201cOh yes, and do you all need transportation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cT\u2019isn\u2019t necessary,\u201d said Norton. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel looked at Van with a crooked smile, and said, \u201cI\u2019m sure we\u2019ll all be nice and cozy in the back of Arbogast\u2019s van.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n*****<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI\u2019m driving, I\u2019m driving,\u201d insisted Norton, shoving the other Halfslips toward the back. Parker and Porter were too flabbergasted to argue, and climbed in behind Mrs. Halfslip who seemed more ready to accept Norton\u2019s change in demeanor.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe ride felt good. Despite the fact that Noah Peale\u2019s legs stretched diagonally from one end of the van to the other, cramped was a good feeling when it meant being with people they\u2019d spent three agonizing days worrying about.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m ready for a celebratory meal,\u201d volunteered Mrs. Peale.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cAnd I hope Franz is too,\u201d added Mr. Peale, \u201cbecause as soon as you folks go home and clean yourselves up, you\u2019re joining us at the biggest table in the restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tNorton pulled the van up to the curb in front of Mona Lisa\u2019s to let the Peales out. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m getting out here too,\u201d said Mabel hastily. \u201cVan and I need to talk to Patience.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe do?\u201d asked Van, as Mabel pulled him out the door.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cDinner at 7:30?\u201d asked Mr. Peale.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s a deal,\u201d replied Mrs. Crockett. \u201cMabel, we\u2019ll meet you here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tAfter Ramon finished hugging everyone with smothering enthusiasm, he pointed across the street to the library.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cPatience is looking at art books,\u201d he said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t had much luck cheering her up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThanks Ramon,\u201d called Mabel, as she trotted back out the door.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhat exactly are we trying to do?\u201d asked Van, following Mabel across River Street.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe\u2019re going to help them work things out,\u201d she replied. \u201cPatience and Agent Manderley.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cAnd just exactly why do we want to do that?\u201d asked Van dubiously.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cBecause,\u201d she said, as they reached the curb in front of Zel\u2019s Lunch Counter, \u201cthey…\u201d <\/p>\n
\n\tShe stopped abruptly as the door to Zel\u2019s swung open forcefully in her face. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cOuta the way!\u201d yelled a rough voice as Mabel found herself skidding down the pavement propelled by the burly arms of Reb Campanella. <\/p>\n
\n\tShe looked up in time to see the swaggering form of Mitchell Blunt catch a surprised Van by the shoulders and roughly shove him backward into Hurley Applewood. In the vise-like grip of Applewood, Van had no hope of dodging Blunt\u2019s boot-clad foot which shot out with piston-swiftness and hit him in the groin. Van crumpled to the sidewalk, while raucous laughter clattered in Mabel\u2019s ears.<\/p>\n
\n\tAs Blunt, Applewood, and Campanella hustled away giving each other congratulatory high-fives, Mabel scrambled to her feet.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cVan!\u201d Mabel knelt and touched him on the shoulder. Van gasped for a few more seconds in an effort to regain his breath. For a minute or so more, he lay on the pavement with a stunned expression, before pulling himself, with painful slowness, to a hunched standing position.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cOkay…\u201d he uttered, \u201cI\u2019m…okay.\u201d Then he turned and stared at Mabel, though she had the sense that he was looking through her, not at her, and he said, \u201cI…I gotta go…\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cSee Doctor Rotter!\u201d he answered. Van took off at a run. A much faster run than Mabel would have thought possible given the blow he\u2019d just received.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cVan wait,\u201d called Mabel. \u201cShould I get your parents?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cNo!\u201d he yelled without stopping.<\/p>\n
\n\tShould I go with you,<\/em> she asked silently. What does he need Dr. Rotter for? Is he hurt worse than I thought?<\/em> <\/p>\n \n\tShe caught sight of the glass vial, which had slipped to the outside of her shirt when Reb had thrown her. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cVan will be okay,\u201d Mabel quietly reassured herself, as she walked toward the library next door.<\/p>\n \n\tMabel found Patience sitting forlornly at a table, staring at a print of Vincent Van Gogh\u2019s painting \u201cThe Starry Night.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tAs Mabel sat down beside her, Patience looked up from the swirls of color and light, and said, \u201cIs he a man or a monster? And how can I love him? For only a monster would threaten my family.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel nodded, then shook her head, unable to think of a response.<\/p>\n \n\tPatience continued. \u201cBut something in my heart tells me that there\u2019s still a man beneath the beast. What can I do? Mabel, what would you do?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel shrugged slightly. \u201cPatience,\u201d she said, \u201cI think you\u2019ve been crying too much. You\u2019re probably dehydrated. I\u2019m going to get you a cup of water.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tNear the ladies room stood a water cooler, with a tubular dispenser of pointy-bottomed paper cups attached to it. The water in the cooler burbled as Mabel filled a cup, pulled the stopper out of the vial with her teeth, and poured in the remainder of the liquid.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHere,\u201d Mabel said, handing the cup to Patience. \u201cDrink up. You need it.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tPatience smiled gratefully and took a sip. \u201cHow piquant,\u201d she said, looking at the water, before continuing to drink.<\/p>\n \n\tMabel looked at the floor and noticed, with sudden dismay, that it would be a rather hard surface to faint on, but Patience merely swayed slightly before regaining her equilibrium.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019d…I\u2019d like to go home now,\u201d said Patience, \u201cand ponder. You were right Mabel, I did need water. It has expelled at least a few of the cobwebs from my soul.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cEveryone\u2019s home, Patience,\u201d Mabel said. \u201cThe Peales are out of jail. And the Halfslips, and my parents too!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tPatience grabbed both of Mabel\u2019s hands. \u201cThank you for being the bearer of good news,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYou can join us for dinner,\u201d said Mabel, \u201cin ten minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMabel, you\u2019re one of my heroines,\u201d said Patience, \u201cbut I feel a need to paint just now.\u201d<\/p>\n *******<\/p>\n \tMabel entered Mona Lisa\u2019s dining room to find that several tables had been pushed together to accommodate their larger than usual group. All five Halfslips were at the table, interspersed by Mr. and Mrs. Peale, Colleen, and Mabel\u2019s own parents. <\/p>\n \n\tMabel looked at her father, in a clean denim shirt, chatting and laughing with the others. And her mother, who had obviously put effort into grooming for dinner, and still managed to look slightly disheveled. As happy as she felt to have found the older Crocketts, and as much as she wanted to see them again, her parents, she knew, were right here at this table.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cVan had to go see Doctor Rotter,\u201d said Mabel, taking an empty seat. \u201cI\u2019m not sure about what, but it seemed to be important.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cA man of science, our boy,\u201d said Mr. Peale.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIs the baby alright?\u201d asked Mrs. Crockett, turning to Mary Halfslip. <\/p>\n \n\tMrs. Halfslip nodded, with obvious relief that this whole episode had ended. \u201cHe\u2019s on an automatic watering device,\u201d she said. \u201cEverything seems to be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tColleen perused her menu with great relish. \u201cCitrus,\u201d she said. \u201cI want something with citrus. Ivy, what are you going to have?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cTeriyaki vegetables,\u201d Ivy replied. \u201cAnd rice pilaf.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSounds yummy,\u201d said Colleen. She sat as if thinking for a few minutes while conversation continued around her. \u201cIvy and I talked a little about her plant,\u201d Colleen said, turning to Porter and Mary Halfslip. \u201cI understand it\u2019s a vigna?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYes,\u201d said Porter, seeming pleased to discuss the matter, \u201ca vigna carmelata.\u201d He paused and began to butter a roll. \u201cThe root system, though,\u201d Porter continued, \u201cbelongs to a nepenthes spectabilis. It\u2019s a graft…for sturdiness.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYou familiar with the spectabilis?\u201d asked Parker. \u201cDumb question,\u201d he chided himself, \u201cguess there aren\u2019t many plants you don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYes,\u201d replied Colleen, \u201cI know the spectabilis.\u201d For a few seconds, Colleen sat quietly. Then she said, \u201cIvy\u2019s going to get sick again.\u201d The statement drew stares from around the table. \u201cUnless…\u201d Colleen continued.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cUnless what?\u201d demanded Porter.<\/p>\n \n\tColleen was quiet for a few seconds more, and a grin slowly crept across her face. She started to laugh.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d Porter asked again, looking slightly offended.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cPorter,\u201d Colleen said, \u201cyour daughter is a carnivore.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhat?\u201d blurted Porter.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cPorter,\u201d began Mrs. Halfslip slowly, \u201cthe nepenthes spectabilis…\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIs,\u201d Colleen continued, \u201ccarnivorous. It\u2019s a meat-trapping, meat-digesting plant.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLike a venus flytrap?\u201d asked Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\tColleen nodded.<\/p>\n \n\tPorter looked at Parker. \u201cI just didn\u2019t think…it never occurred to me that…\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSometimes our roots can surprise us,\u201d said Colleen simply, smiling at Mabel. Mabel grinned, and nodded back.<\/p>\n \n\tIvy, who had been following the conversation with increasing animation, finally said, \u201cWell, I guess that explains my cravings.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYou\u2019ve been craving meat?\u201d asked Mrs. Halfslip.<\/p>\n \n\tIvy nodded and shrugged. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOkay,\u201d continued her mother, \u201cas long as it\u2019s you and not me. Do you want to, uh…try something?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHow about tuna?\u201d asked Ivy.<\/p>\n \n\tMrs. Peale jumped up from the table. \u201cOne tuna steak,\u201d she said, \u201cbroiled, and served with lemon butter, coming right up.\u201d<\/p>\n \tColleen gratefully accepted the offer of a room at the co-op until such time as Peter Crockett could take a helicopter back to the spring to assess the condition of the Shooting Star. <\/p>\n \n\tAs the Crocketts and the Halfslips prepared to leave the restaurant, Patience entered the gallery. \u201cI\u2019ll walk out with you,\u201d she said, pulling a sweater around her shoulders.<\/p>\n \n\tThe windows of River Street reflected bronze in the setting sunlight.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful, isn\u2019t it?\u201d said Patience, as she admired the streetscape. \u201cBut I can\u2019t dwell on such things. I\u2019ve come to a crossroad in my life, and I now know which way to turn.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh?\u201d responded Mabel. \u201cSo which way are you going to turn?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tPatience straightened her posture. \u201cI\u2019m going back to Doctor Rotter.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cTo do what?\u201d asked Ivy.<\/p>\n \n\tPatience looked fondly toward the house at the end of River Street. \u201cHe\u2019s old,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s worked so hard, and he\u2019s all by himself. He needs someone. He needs a helper.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cPatience,\u201d argued Mabel. \u201cYou like art. You said yourself that you\u2019re not any good at science.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI can learn,\u201d insisted Patience. \u201cI\u2019m going to see him. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019ll go with you,\u201d said Mabel. \u201cI want to make sure Van\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cDon\u2019t stay long,\u201d said Mr. Crockett. \u201cThere\u2019s a little thing called school you\u2019re going to have to get back in the habit of doing. Starting tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \tAt the wrought iron gate in front of Dr. Rotter\u2019s, Mabel watched Patience straighten the hat on Marty the vulture, then tighten the ribbon on Igor. How in the world, Mabel wondered, could Patience ever function as a lab assistant? <\/p>\n \n\tThe front door creaked open. Dr. Rotter stepped out onto the porch and dropped a cigarette butt on the floor, then crushed it with his shoe.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cCame to get Van, didja?\u201d he grunted, as Mabel and Patience approached. \u201cHe\u2019s been a great help to me this afternoon, I\u2019ll tell ya what.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cDr. Rotter,\u201d began Patience. \u201cI\u2019ve decided to come back. To be your laboratory assistant.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDr. Rotter raised a quizzical eyebrow.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019ll do so much better now,\u201d Patience continued. \u201cI\u2019m sure I can. You must give me another chance!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSweetheart,\u201d Dr. Rotter said, putting a fatherly hand on her shoulder. \u201cIt\u2019s not your thing. You\u2019re an artist. You know it. I know it. Besides,\u201d he continued, leaning against a porch column with a satisfied smile, \u201cI think I’ve got a lab assistant.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBut Van\u2019s too young,\u201d argued Patience. \u201cHe has years of school ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWho said anything about Van?\u201d replied Dr. Rotter. He opened the screen door and leaned inside. \u201cHey,\u201d he called, \u201ccould you step outside? There\u2019re some ladies here I\u2019d like you to meet.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tA great lumbering thump resounded in the hallway. The screen door flew open with a bang, and out onto the porch lurched Tim Tutter, followed by Van who was making a valiant effort to keep him upright. Mabel tried hard not to laugh with surprise at the sight of him. He was dressed in yellow, flowered hospital scrubs. A freshly repaired scar ran the length of his left cheek, and his hair, formerly a moussed pompadour, looked electrified.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh,\u201d cooed Patience, \u201cisn\u2019t he sweet! How well I remember when my legs felt just like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tTutter grabbed the porch railing for support and looked at Mabel. \u201cHello, young lady!\u201d he said, extending a hand. Then he looked at Patience. \u201cYou know,\u201d he said, \u201cI can\u2019t think of a time when I\u2019ve seen a more artfully arranged pair of X chromosomes. Actually though…there\u2019s not much I can<\/em> think of.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tPatience, looking a bit perplexed, smiled back.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cDon\u2019t worry Tim,\u201d said Dr. Rotter. \u201cYou have years to create memories.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIf you particularly stunning people will excuse me,\u201d said Tutter, \u201cI\u2019m right in the middle of the logarithm section of a little worksheet Ern gave me.\u201d He lowered his voice secretively. \u201cI think it\u2019s supposed to be some kind of test, but I\u2019ll tell you what…it\u2019s more fun than checkers. I think I\u2019m acing it.\u201d He chuckled and gave a quick thumbs up, then staggered back into the house.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cErn?\u201d said Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\tDr. Rotter smiled and shrugged. \u201cYou know guys?\u201d he said. \u201cI think this one\u2019s gonna take.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWell,\u201d agreed Mabel, \u201che seems to be into the math stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHe\u2019s a natural,\u201d said Van.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOkay, so how\u2019d you do it?\u201d asked Mabel. \u201cNot fry his left brain, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt was Van\u2019s idea,\u201d said Dr. Rotter. \u201cHe barged in here this afternoon hollering about trying a new neuronal pool site. Sounded nuts at first, but he was right. Turns out that the high concentration of excitable nerve tissue in the lower abdomen makes it an ideal location to plug in the probes, without jolting the brain so directly.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel stared at Van.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt worked,\u201d he said simply.<\/p>\n \n\tPatience embraced Dr. Rotter and kissed him on the cheek. He reddened slightly but looked very pleased. \n\t\u201cPatience,\u201d said Mabel, \u201cI didn\u2019t think this lab assistant thing was right for you anyway. Maybe you can teach art.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWell,\u201d mused Patience, with a sad smile, \u201cI suppose at every crossroad there are several directions in which one might turn. Perhaps I should go home and talk to the other teachers. Maybe they\u2019ll have some advice.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYeah,\u201d said Van, \u201cit\u2019s late. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tVery little daylight remained, and the lights of River Street were in fierce competition with the stars overhead, as Dr. Rotter walked Mabel, Van, and Patience to the gate.<\/p>\n \n\tSuddenly, the traffic circle was flooded in the glare of headlights, and a black car halted abruptly in front of Dr. Rotter\u2019s house. Mabel looked at Patience whose face, in the lamplight, instantly drained of color. \u201cIt\u2019s…it\u2019s…Reynolds,\u201d she stammered.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cManderley?\u201d said Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\tReynolds Manderley stepped out of the car. His hair was combed, and the beard stubble gone. He seemed very much like the confident Manderley Mabel had first met in Bumper\u2019s Stuff Shop. But there was a determination in his expression that Mabel could not read. Wordlessly, Manderley reached inside his jacket and removed the slim, black wallet which Mabel recognized from the Halfslips\u2019 parking lot. He opened it and briefly flashed his badge.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhat?\u201d said Van in annoyance. \u201cAre we under arrest again?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tStill without a word, Reynolds closed the wallet, reached back like a major-league pitcher and hurled it, badge and all, forcefully in the direction of the river. Mabel, Van, Patience, and Dr. Rotter stood in stunned silence as the black wallet arched over the treetops in the moonlight then landed with a splash, followed by a slurping flush, as the Willibunk swallowed it whole.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThey fired you?\u201d asked Mabel tentatively.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI quit.\u201d replied Manderley.<\/p>\n \n\tWith a scream of delight, Patience flung herself into Manderley\u2019s waiting arms. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh, man,\u201d muttered Van, looking away. \u201cNow they\u2019re going to kiss all night.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSo how \u2018bout the rest of us go home?\u201d said Mabel. She waved goodbye to Dr. Rotter, and gave Van a quick tug in the direction of the co-op.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI knew they\u2019d work things out,\u201d said Mabel, smiling at Van. He merely grunted in reply.<\/p>\n *******<\/p>\n \tIt was pre-dawn, a chilly Monday morning. Mabel typed the last few lines of her Logjam history essay and hit PRINT.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cNo,\u201d stated the computer, \u201cI\u2019m sorry. No printing until you\u2019ve run a spell-check.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOkay Clemmy,\u201d said Mabel, \u201crun a spell-check.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tClemmy began to hum a bit more insistently, and seconds later came to a halt. \u201cStumpworth,\u201d said the computer. \u201cI do believe you forgot to hit the spacebar. Wouldn\u2019t that be stump and worth? And, in my opinion, a stump can\u2019t be worth much.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cClemmy,\u201d said Mabel patiently. \u201cStumpworth is a name. He used to be the foreman at the Logjam Mill in 1915. When Colleen was leading protests.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWell,\u201d said Clemmy a few hums later, \u201ceverything else seems to be correct. And the title of this piece would be?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cColleen Wickers–Advocate for the Willibunk.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tClemmy\u2019s hard drive light strobed off and on. \u201cDon\u2019t you find that just a bit cumbersome?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt stays,\u201d said Mabel, \u201cuntil you can think of something better.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cFine then,\u201d responded the computer. \u201cIt\u2019s an interesting slice of history. I\u2019ll send it to the printer at once.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tThe printer began to buzz and whirr as its paper feed came to life. \u201cSpeaking of history,\u201d said Clemmy, \u201cyou might be interested to know I have some bits of binary code which originally appeared in the Elliot 803 model, built in 1962.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYou\u2019ve told me,\u201d said Mabel. \u201cVery impressive. Can you get my email for me now?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tClemmy\u2019s hard drive hummed a bit more, and a bing-bong<\/em> signaled the downloaded email. \u201cLet\u2019s see now,\u201d began Clemmy, \u201cAre you interested in accepting credit cards at your business?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI don\u2019t have a business,\u201d replied Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cTrash, then?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cTrash.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tClemmy whirred a bit more. \u201cDo you wish to subscribe to Surfman\u2019s All Rad Online Newsletter?\u201d<\/em>\t<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cTrash,\u201d said Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOne more,\u201d said Clemmy, \u201cfrom haycraft at cochiti dot net.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThat\u2019s from Margie!\u201d said Mabel. \u201cI want that one.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tA page of text opened on the computer\u2019s monitor.<\/p>\n Dear Mabel, I was thrilled to learn that \t\t\t\t* * * * * * *<\/p>\n \tMabel looked out the window of the shiny red helicopter, at the Willibunk forest below. Though few leaves had fallen, the treetops were thick in fiery hues of yellow, orange and red.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI think Colleen is happy to be back at the spring with Jonah and Laura,\u201d said Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cShe\u2019s lived there for eighty-five years now,\u201d responded Mr. Crockett. \u201cIt would be hard, I guess, to feel completely at home anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThey’re great though,\u201d said Mrs. Crockett. \u201cJonah and Laura, I mean. I was a little worried about how I might feel.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d asked Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI thought I might be a little jealous, or something, that you\u2019re so much more like them than you are like us,\u201d answered Mrs. Crockett.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMe too,\u201d agreed Mr. Crockett, \u201cbut I wasn\u2019t. Now I just feel lucky…that Norton picked your mom and me.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYeah,\u201d said Mabel, \u201cI\u2019m lucky too. So, what\u2019s going to happen with the Shooting Star?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMr. Crockett\u2019s face looked slightly pained. \u201cIt\u2019s going to take me a while to rebuild that tail,\u201d he said, \u201cnot to mention the landing gear. Guess we\u2019ll be going back when I get the parts together.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAnd when will that be?\u201d asked Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201c\u2018Round about Christmas?\u201d answered Mr. Crockett.<\/p>\n \n\tMabel sat up excitedly. \u201cWe\u2019re going to spend Christmas at the spring?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cCool,\u201d said Mrs. Crockett nodding. \u201cI like that idea.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tUnder the descending helicopter, russett-hued leaves, caught in the current of the spinning blades, danced in a frenzied whirlpool. The leaves dispersed to reveal the Willibunk, breaking free of the thick forest to run the length of East Logjam. There was the flat roof of the Eurus Press building, and across the street a flatbed truck dumping a load of lumber behind the Fairweathers\u2019 house. Down Rocky Creek Road rattled a green van with a freshly repaired windshield, and a newly lettered side reading, \u201cMona Lisa\u2019s Delivers!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tAs the helicopter set down in the airfield Mabel felt, with utmost certainty, that Logjam was in for a stretch of very fine weather.<\/p>\n THE END<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cOh, my heavens!\u201d cried a flustered secretary scurrying into the room. \u201cWhat happened to Agent Manderley?\u201d She lifted his head and began patting him rapidly on the cheeks. Mabel had barely opened her mouth to reply when two more women hurried into the room, and joined the patting. \u201cI think he\u2019s okay,\u201d said one of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=303"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":305,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303\/revisions\/305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\t \u201cI\u2019m more happy for you than I can say,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is a wonderful turn of events, but I feel left in a bit of a quandary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\tColleen Wickers, one of my personal heroes,
\n\t\tis not only alive and well, but that you found
\n\t\ther! A million thanks for sending me a copy
\n\t\tof volume 2 of her Compendium–It has come in
\n\t\thandy several times already! Do you think Colleen
\n\t\tmight be interested in leading an instructional
\n\t\tseminar here at Cochiti Spring? We\u2019d
\n\t\thappily offer her, as well as you and your parents–
\n\t\tall of them–free room and board! My note
\n\t\tmust be brief. I\u2019m scheduled to do a presentation
\n\t\tfor Professor Lampkin and some of his colleagues.
\n\t\tWrite soon. Margie.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n